Mk 4 what to watch for........ Models Covered: Golf GTi Mk 4 - 1997-to 2004: (1.8, 1.8 turbo, 2.0-litre three and five-door [GTI, Anniversary, Match, Final Edition])
Common problems and issues
Like most new models of car the Mk4 came with a fair share of common faults and problems. Probably the most highly publicised was the faulty coil packs used in many engines. The 1.8 Turbo engine suffered the most with this problem and a broken coil pack would result in a very poorly running engine or a non running engine. VW issued a recall on many of these cars and replaced all the faulty coils with an improved design. Despite this there are still plenty of older Mk 4s out there with the original coil packs in them. It is a little known fact that in the vast majority of cases VW will replace them free of charge even out of the 3 year warranty period.
Other common faults included broken electric windows, snapped exhaust mounts, premature wearing of suspension bushes, faulty engine sensors and general electrical failiures. Many fixes and modified parts were released to cure these problems wich were fitted as standard to later cars. It is well worth checking the warranty claim history of a car with your local dealer to ensure that these faults were sorted. Although thought by many as a solid car easily cabable of many hassle free miles the Mk4 does have weak areas. A main dealer service history with evidence of extra work carried out throughout the cars life is a very good sign.
Dont be put off by high miles if evidence of service and lots of maintenance repairs is evident. Generally speaking most of the Mk 4 engines are very solid and relaible if serviced properly and regularly. Bear in mind that additional keys are very expensive indeed, if only 1 is present bear in mind the cost of adding a second could be well over £100
The Golf GTi has been piling on the pounds over the last few decades. The Mk4 Golf is a whopping 48 percent heavier than the original Mk1. All this means that the later cars need much more power just to stay in the same league as the originals. Despite its 20 valves, turbo and modern electronic engine management, the Mk4 GTi 1. 8 Turbo cannot match even the earliest humble 1.6 GTi in terms of power to weight ratio. To have the same power to weight ratio as that early car, the modern Mk4 would need 162 bhp, to catch the Mk2 16v.
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